This application is based on and claims the priority date of German Application No. DE 101 57 563.7, filed on Nov. 23, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a full-caliber projectile having a cylindrical guide region and an ogival projectile tip.
Full-caliber tank projectiles, in particular, have too short a guide length (usually, the length of the projectile region that is guided through the gun barrel) because of their relatively long, ogival tip. Consequently, the corresponding projectile is often poorly stabilized inside the gun barrel and therefore has unfavorable intermediate ballistics and a poor dispersion pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,912 discloses a spin-stabilized special projectile whose ogival tip is significantly longer than the cylindrical guide region. To increase the guide length, it is proposed in this publication to secure a guide ring to the projectile tip, with the ring being segmented at the circumference and supported against the inside wall of the gun barrel with three shell-like guide-ring segments. As the projectile passes through the barrel, the guide-ring segments remain in their predetermined position at the projectile tip, and then are jettisoned laterally due to the centrifugal forces acting on them after the projectile has exited the barrel.
A drawback of these projectiles is that the guide ring must have a fairly massive design, because it must bridge the entire distance between the projectile and the inside wall of the gun barrel in the region of the projectile tip. Furthermore, the detachment of the guide ring after the projectile has exited the gun barrel presupposes the effect of sufficient centrifugal forces, which are not present with projectiles that are fired from smooth-bore cannons. These known guide rings have failed particularly in conventional full-caliber projectiles having a cylindrical guide region whose length is greater than or equal to the length of the ogival projectile tip.
It is the object of the invention to provide a full-caliber projectile that is stabilized better inside the gun barrel, in a simple manner, which attains better intermediate ballistics and hit accuracy.
The above object generally is achieved according to the present invention by a full-caliber projectile comprising: a projectile body having a cylindrical guide region and an ogival projectile tip connected to a front end of the guide region; a cylindrical guide ring, which is divided at its circumference into at least two shell-like guide-ring segments, mounted on an outer surface of the projectile tip, with an outer diameter of the ring being smaller than an inner diameter of a gun barrel of the same caliber as the projectile; and means securing the guide ring to the outer surface of the projectile tip such that the guide-ring segments detach from the projectile and move rapidly outwardly when a predetermined firing acceleration is attained in the corresponding gun barrel, so that the guide-ring segments are pushed rearwardly toward the cylindrical guide region of thew projectile in an axial direction until the guide ring segments rest against the inside wall of the gun barrel and against the projectile. Further, particularly advantageous, embodiments of the invention are disclosed.
The invention is essentially based on the concept of securing a guide ring, which is segmented at the circumference, and whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the gun barrel, to the projectile tip such that the radially spaced guide-ring segments detach from the projectile when a predetermined firing acceleration occurs in the gun barrel, and the segments are pushed rearwardly toward the projectile, axially relative to the cylindrical guide region, by dynamic pressure until they rest against the inside wall of the gun barrel and against the projectile. The guide ring extends the cylindrical guide region, while virtually eliminating the guide play in this region.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the adjacent guide-ring segments are connected to one another such that they can move outwardly, in the radial direction, when detaching from the projectile tip, but cannot become axially misaligned relative to one another.
This is achieved by providing at least one circumferentially extending tongue-like extension on one of the adjacent guide-ring segments, with the extension extending, with a form-fit, into a circumferentially divided recess of the adjacent guide-ring segment. It is preferably provided that one end of each guide-ring segment has such a tongue-like extension, while the other end is provided with a recess that is adapted to the tongue-like extension of the adjacent guide-ring segment.
To assure the detachment of the guide ring outside of the gun barrel, even with projectiles fired from smooth-bore cannons, the guide ring should preferably have an air pocket formed on its end surface that faces the projectile tip.
To secure the guide ring to the projectile, it has proven advantageous for the guide ring to have radially extending fastening elements that extend radially inwardly and are provided with break-away or weakened points. The fastening elements extend in a non-positive lockup into corresponding radially extending grooves on the surface of the projectile. As an alternative, the guide ring can be glued or welded to the projectile, or connected to it with the aid of encircling holding bands on the outer circumferential surface of the guide ring.
Further details about and advantages of the invention ensue from the exemplary embodiments described below and illustrated in the figures.